The NRDL consists of teams that train and compete on banked tracks in the coastal cities of Southern California.
The NRDL was established in 1995 by Lou Sanchez, Sr. Sanchez is a former Roller Games skater known for his underhanded, violent tactics[citation needed] while playing for the Texas Outlaws in the 1960s and 1970s.
After retiring from skating, he managed various teams in different roller derby revivals.
The NRDL began with two teams, the Los Angeles Aztecs and the San Francisco Bay Bombers, skating in exhibition matches in mid-1995.
Potential investors were sought to fund the founding teams plus two more, the L.A. Thunderbirds and the New York Chiefs, in an enterprise to be promoted as Roller Derby 2000, but nothing materialized.